The tiling is one of the craft activities that have long been taken over by skilled home improvement. Ever better tools and efficient, easy-to-use building materials offer a professional result. But of course it also includes manual skills. Below we provide comprehensive information on the professional laying of tiles.

Material and tools for tiling are first class - the rest is skill and knowledge

Until a few decades ago, the laying of tiles was an extremely demanding job. Modern tile adhesive, which allow the laying in a thin bed, there was not yet. Therefore, the tiles had to be placed in a low-level cement bed, which required particularly accurate work. Good tool for tiling was also extremely expensive. Everything has changed today. The focus is now in particular on the preparatory work. Subsoil and building materials can be perfectly coordinated so that the optimal conditions can be achieved differently.

Step-by-step instructions for laying tiles

Leveling or flow filler

reverse primer

priming

tiling

tile glue

tile crosses

distance crosses

joint silicone

water

drilling machine

mixing paddle

suitable drills

mortar bucket

trowel

Tooth trowel with middle toothing

rubber hammer

parrot pliers

Tile cutter or tile cutter

small spirit level

Chalk line

possibly angle or angle sweep

Fug board or squeegee (rubber)

tile sponge

silicone syringe

wooden spatula

1. Preparations before laying the tiles

The preparation work depends heavily on the existing surface. Basically, a distinction can be made between screed floors in new buildings and the different floors in old buildings.

a) Preparations screed Neubau

Under the screed in new buildings are already footfall sound insulation and vapor barrier against moisture. The circumferential expansion joint of the screed floor can also be used for the tiles. Probably the biggest mistake when laying tiles in new buildings is laying too fast. The screed really needs to be completely dry. If you are not sure, you should measure the moisture of the screed floor before tiling. Otherwise the screed must be clean, that is swept clean.

b) Preparations underground old buildings

The underground can vary enormously from old building to old building. Mostly there is a cement or concrete floor. If the soil is coarse, smooth the ground with a concrete grinder or even level with liquid screed. In addition, a moisture barrier must be considered in the lower floors.

If necessary, a footfall sound insulation is recommended. The properties of the ground can be very different. Adhesion promoters and primers allow you to react to heavily or not at all absorbent floors and thus optimize them for the tile adhesive. Even in old buildings, the floor must be absolutely dry.

2. Tile laying plan before laying the tiles

Floor tiles begin in the middle of the room, creating a symmetrical layout. Even with walls you start in the middle. You can lay the tiles next to each other without glue. To quickly determine whether to start with a tile centered or with four tiles around the center (bottom) or one tile left and right of the center (wall).

3. Mix tile adhesive

Now prepare the tile adhesive according to the manufacturer's instructions. Bear in mind that you need to let the special natural stone tile adhesives ripen for a few minutes after first mixing.

4. Laying the tiles

Now use the tooth trowel to coat as much soil with glue as you can process in 20 to 30 minutes. In addition, comb webs in the glue. The buttering-floating process is basically to be preferred. You also apply tile adhesive to the back of the tiles. The bars comb here across to those on the ground.

Now place tile by tile with circular floating movements in the glue. Never press the tiles completely to the floor. To maintain the joints, use joint crosses that are adapted to the size of the tiles. At the edges you can also use joint crosses (tweak them on one side). Alternatively, you can also use spacer wedges for the circumferential expansion joint. Glue that it presses into the joints, you must remove completely.

5. Lay the laid tiles

Now you can start grouting the laid tiles. The grout for floor tiles can be thinned so that you can push them diagonally into the joints with a water slide. The grout for wall tiles is mixed a little creamy, so you can work with diagonal and fugue also diagonal.

6. The flushing of the tile joints

After the grout has dried a bit, you can start flushing out. Using a tiled sponge or sponge board, wipe diagonally across the joints again. How to achieve a uniformly high gap. The joint mortar is then sufficiently dried when it no longer shines and is dull.

7. The expansion joint

Finally, you can now fill the expansion joint with silicone. Some tilers inject in advance mounting foam in the joint, since the silicone should have no direct connection to the screed. After injecting, remove the silicone with a wooden spatula. Finally, straighten the silicone joint with your finger.

Tips & Tricks

The diagonal incorporation of the grout is important. This is the only way to achieve a uniformly filled gap. This is important because otherwise different shades of color can form.

Always put the full tiles first. Then cut all the tiles that need to be machined in one operation. This saves you a lot of time.

You can also [lay tiles on a wooden floor]. In the house journal you will find many instructions and guides.